1. Field of the Invention
An automotive wheel cover having a resilient retainer ring for mounting the automotive wheel cover to a wheel including a bias or spring to adapt the resilient retainer ring to the specific wheel size.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheel covers of a plastic material have become popular in order to minimize the weight of the cover or to minimize the expense of making the wheel cover. However, such wheel covers are more susceptible to breakage and distortion than metal wheel covers. In particular, when the means for attaching the wheel cover to the wheel is integrally formed of plastic material with the wheel cover, the forces imposed upon the plastic retaining means can distort the cover as well as the retaining means and reduce the effectiveness of the retaining means. Moreover, when the wheel is subjected to unexpected shocks, the plastic retaining means can be extremely stressed and broken whereby the wheel cover becomes separated from the wheel.
Often mounting of the wheel cover to the wheel rim comprise attaching a spring wire or plate to the holder wall or flange portion on the back circumference of the wheel cover and engaging this spring member such as the spring wire or plate with a portion of the wheel rim.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,967 relates to a wheel cover comprising a plurality of stoppers disposed around the circumference of a base each having a stopper surface opposed to the inner peripheral surface of a wheel disk with a gap therebetween and a ring holder in an endless annular form having a single looped flexible portion. The wheel cover is easily fitted to the wheel disk by a small spring load.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,831 discloses a wheel having a wire ring supported on the inboard face thereof formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly extending, U-shaped projections designed to frictionally engage an annular surface on the wheel rim to retain the cover thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,425 shows a wheel cover including a cover body having a base circular support integrally formed along the circumferential surface adjacent to the edge portion on the inverse side, a plurality of lock openings formed on the outer wall of the base circular support, a notch and an aperture respectively provided in the cover body, a plurality of lock devices detachably secured in the lock openings and a circular retaining ring coupled with the lock devices to ensure the support stability of the lock devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,915 teaches a wheel cover with a wire ring including circular segments constructed as a prestressed bent spring. This bent spring is received by guides mounted on the wheel cover and retained by nose-like holding members when installed in the wheel cover. After the wheel cover is mounted on the wheel rim, the bent spring attains a generally circular contour and moves away from the nose-like holding members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,490 discloses a wheel cover mounting for wheel covers comprising a mounting portion positioned in axial alignment with and spaced radially inward from a facing surface portion of a vehicle wheel. A spring wire retainer ring including radially outwardly extending projections spaced circumferentially around the ring in a substantially flat plane are received through circumferentially spaced openings in the mounting portion of the wheel cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,038 relates to a wheel cover comprising a plurality of struts formed integrally on the back face circumference of the wheel cover, a wire ring is fitted into inner recesses in the struts and engagement pieces fitted from outside onto the struts to fix the wire ring to the struts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,838 discloses a wheel cap comprising a wheel cap body with engagement portions to be engaged with a wheel disc and a linear elastic member mounted to the wheel cap body adapted to bias the engagement portions to press-contact with the wheel disc wherein the linear elastic member is in the form of an endless circle having a plurality of loop-like flexible portions along a circumference thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,031 teaches a hub cap with grooves on the inner sides of a plurality of click sheets respectively. A metal ring fitted against the inner sides of the click sheets with rubber caps on two opposite click sheets. The hub cap can effectively be installed into the wheel rim with proper flexibility in a detachable manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,109 shows a vehicle wheel retention cap including a cup-shaped body with a plurality of grooved projections on the internal face of the cap body for receiving a metallic ring and a plurality of clamps injected at the internal face of the cap. The clamps which are engageable in the vehicle wheel include recesses which receive the metallic ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,122 relates to a center hub cap for vehicle wheels including a dish-like main body with hollow and substantially cylindrical projections and retainer legs. These projections and legs are formed integrally with the main body to protrude axially inwardly from the inner surface of the main body and arranged alternately with each other. The projections radially support an annular spring ring for urging the retainer legs radially outwardly toward the inner peripheral wall of a recessed center portion of the wheel and provided with shoulder portions to axially maintain the spring ring in engagement with the retainer legs.